43 toxic barrels removed to safe place

KON TUM — Forty-three toxic barrels, remnants from the war, have been successfully moved to a safe location by the military in this Central Highlands province yesterday, the Military Command said.

The barrels, weighing some 1,500kg, were discovered at a depth of 2.5m below ground in Sa Thầy District’s Rờ Kơi Commune.

More than 20 soldiers were mobilized to the scene and worked for six days to remove all the barrels.

The soldiers had to dig across a large area to avoid spreading the chemicals to other regions.

The province has discovered hundreds of toxic barrels left over from the war in recent years.

Many local residents have suffered serious illnesses such as mental retardation, blindness, deafness and cancer, as well as reproductive failure and congenital diseases after coming into contact with these barrels. — VNS